Evaluation of Stent Angioplasty in the Treatment of Arteriosclerotic Lesions of the Common Femoral Artery

In many vascular segments, endovascular therapy is the treatment of choice for arteriosclerotic lesions. For the treatment of common femoral artery (CFA) lesions, surgical reconstruction is still considered the gold standard. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of stent angioplasty for the treatment of common femoral artery (CFA) lesions in a real-world population during a two-year follow up. This retrospective, single-center study includes 250 patients requiring treatment with stent angioplasty of CFA lesions. The primary end point was the target lesion revascularization (TLR) rate. Secondary end points were the overall procedural complication rate, the rate of ipsilateral CFA punctures during follow-up, changes in the Rutherford–Becker class (RBC) and ankle–brachial index (ABI), primary patency rates, amputation rate, time to and the type of TLR. A total of 236 interventions (94.4%) were successfully defined as a residual stenosis < 30%. Periinterventionally, there were 23 complications (9.1%), 3 of which had to be treated surgically. Median follow up was 21 months (average 19.2 ± 7.8). In total, 41 patients (16.4%) needed a TLR. The primary patency rate was 90.8%, 81.2% and 72% at 6, 12 and 24 months, respectively. ABI and RBC were significantly better at all time points compared to baseline. During follow up, seven amputations (three minor and four major) had to be performed. More than half of the patients (56.0%) were punctured at the stented CFA during the follow up. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed continued nicotine use and coronary heart disease as predictors for TLR. Stent angioplasty for the treatment of CFA lesions is safe and effective. Further studies are needed to compare this endovascular option with surgical therapy.